LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!

By Herman M. Lagon

Word has been going around downtown, and this time the whispers are true. Roberto’s is finally expanding. After weeks of speculation about who would take over the former Carlo’s space along JM Basa Street, the answer has become clear: the Queen is claiming new ground on Calle Real. For longtime patrons, this development carries a quiet promise. There will be more room to sit, more space for families and friends to linger over a meal, and perhaps—finally—shorter lines for those hoping to bring home the famous siopao. After nearly five decades of staying faithfully within its modest walls, Roberto’s appears ready to grow, though hopefully without losing the simple charm that made it a city institution in the first place.

Years ago, when friends from Manila asked me what pasalubong best represents Iloilo, I almost gave the predictable answers—biscocho, butterscotch, maybe frozen packs of La Paz Batchoy for those willing to brave the journey home with soup in a cooler. But I caught myself smiling, because I knew what they were really curious about. “Is Roberto’s siopao really worth the line?” they asked, with the playful skepticism of people raised near Binondo’s dim sum houses or Cebu’s old Chinese eateries. My reply has always been simple: try the Queen and judge for yourself. Most eventually understand why Ilonggos wait patiently for it. Truth be told, however, while the siopao may be the crown jewel, my personal weakness has always been Roberto’s chicken bihon—the kind of comforting plate I reward myself with after finishing a lecture or surviving a particularly demanding day.

It is hard to explain Roberto’s without telling the story of JM Basa Street itself, the heritage stretch once called Calle Real. This was Iloilo’s downtown, its beating heart, its version of Escolta in Manila. This strip was once alive with the hum of abaca trading, proud Spanish-era stone houses, and department stores glowing under neon lights. Decades later, its charm lingers—etched into weathered walls and baroque details that whisper of another time. And right at its heart sits Roberto’s, a humble eatery since 1978. No chains. No malls. Just one small place that stayed. Just a single space with red-and-white chairs, chatter that never fades, and a counter where queues snake into the sidewalk. I once recalled in an MBA class under Prof. Ann Jaranilla how we debated the strategy—or stubbornness—behind Roberto’s refusal to branch out or to franchise. Was it prudence, or simply instinct? The consensus: perhaps their refusal is precisely why the place endures as legend.

Of course, the headline act is the Queen Siopao. Bigger than a fist, heavier than most expectations, and richer in filling than one would think possible, it is a bun that has become folklore. Bacon, Chinese sausage, chicken-pork adobo, and egg are folded into a soft cloud of dough. But the twist is that it is not always available. One has to wait for announcements pinned on the wall or carried by word of mouth—“the Queen is out.” In an era of instant everything, this ritual of waiting only adds to its mystique. Consumer psychology reminds us that scarcity sharpens desire (Cialdini, 2009), and the Queen is Iloilo’s case study in practice. You cannot just demand it. You must earn it—by queuing, by patience, by luck. And when I am fortunate enough to bring one home, I usually buy a Queen, King, or Jumbo siopao for my mother, whichever is available that day. She delights in these buns as much as she does in Roberto’s famous meatballs, which for me is part of the joy—seeing her savor the same flavors that once anchored my youth. For Parvane, my daughter, her loyalty lies with the chicken bihon too, proving that Roberto’s does not only bridge communities but also generations within my own family.

Yet to reduce Roberto’s to its Queen alone is to miss half the story. The King, Jumbo, and Regular siopaos each have loyal followings. The King with ham, the Jumbo with sausage and adobo, the Regular with its humble mix—each offers a version of Ilonggo comfort. The meatballs, dense and juicy, paired with rice or pancit, are whispered about in classrooms and offices where lunch breaks become minor rituals. Meriendas glow with lumpiang shanghai, always crisp. Bihon, my weakness, blooms with calamansi, smoky and fresh. These are flavors of home. They are memory triggers, bookmarks of everyday lives, affordable enough for workers yet indulgent enough for professors, doctors, and lawyers alike.

Every queue outside Roberto’s tells a story. On one end, harried office workers clutching pasalubong before catching a jeepney. On another, tourists balancing boxes stamped with Roberto’s logo, wide-eyed with the delight of discovery. Once, I shared a table with construction workers splitting a Jumbo siopao among themselves, laughing that it was still cheaper and more filling than their usual carinderia fare. At another time, I watched students from nearby university giggling while waiting for their number to be called, already planning Instagram captions: “Finally, the Queen.” These scenes make Roberto’s more than just a restaurant. It becomes a stage where lives intersect, a place where social classes blur under the steam of a bun.

The irony is that Roberto’s thrives amid fast-food giants. Just steps away from Calle Real, Jollibee, Mang Inasal, and McDonald’s stand with their polished interiors and nationwide clout. Yet Roberto’s remains packed. Sociologist Sidney Mintz (1996) has argued that taste is never merely about flavor but about memory, class, and identity. Roberto’s is Ilonggo identity folded into dough. The Queen does not need glossy ads or delivery apps. Its only billboard is the word “namit,” spoken from one suki to another, from one generation to the next.

When Claude Yap, one of the owners, passed away in 2020, Iloilo mourned not just a businessman but a presence. Known for his loud laughter and habit of chatting with customers like my mom as if they were kin, he embodied the spirit of Roberto’s. Many recall how he would remember faces even after months apart. Organizational culture scholars note that institutions thrive not only on products but also on personalities (Schein, 2010). Claude was as much Roberto’s as the Queen itself. After his passing, many said the restaurant felt quieter. But the queues remained, proof that legacies can live in both recipes and memory.

For business students, Roberto’s poses an enduring paradox. Why resist expansion in an era when scale is worshipped? The common answer: to protect quality and control. When the owners themselves man the cashier or the kitchen, shortcuts are impossible. But perhaps deeper still is a worldview that not everything valuable must multiply endlessly. In philosophy, this reflects the wisdom of sufficiency—knowing when enough is enough. Roberto’s is one of the rare businesses that chose depth over breadth, loyalty over ubiquity. That choice, counterintuitive in capitalist terms, has earned them a crown no franchise can replicate.

There is also something profoundly Ilonggo about how Roberto’s endures. Iloilo is known for its gentle pace, slower than Manila but no less deliberate. Roberto’s mirrors this. It is not in a rush to modernize, just as Calle Real resists full gentrification. Stepping inside the restaurant is stepping into rhythm: the Botero-inspired paintings, the sturdy wooden chairs, the hum of Hiligaynon orders. Authenticity here is not a marketing pitch. It is lived daily, and locals recognize it instantly. Roberto’s is not only food. It is a mirror of Iloilo’s soul: patient, grounded, and quietly proud.

For teachers like me, Roberto’s is a metaphor for resilience in education. You do not always need branches or loud recognition. It’s not flash that counts, but consistency, depth, and heart. The Queen proves you don’t need sauce to stand out—just as good teaching doesn’t need theatrics to be unforgettable. What sticks is authenticity, the kind Roberto’s has been serving since 1978. When Jesuit friends from Manila, Cebu, or Mindanao marvel at the Queen, I nod, but my deeper joy is in seeing local jeepney drivers or students eating quietly at the next table. That is Roberto’s legacy: it belongs to everyone.

Food tourism studies in the Philippines (Lasco, 2019) observe that local eateries anchor not only culinary memory but also heritage preservation. In an age when “authenticity” is often staged, Roberto’s stands as authenticity itself. It does not mimic old-world charm; it is old-world charm. It does not market scarcity; it lives it. The Queen’s unpredictability, the crowded counter, the modest space—outsiders may frown, but for locals, these quirks are the very rituals that make Roberto’s home. Food becomes heritage through such habits.

I think of the many times I have carried home a paper-wrapped Queen or bihon carton to my mother, to Parvane, or to myself after a long day. For my mother, it is the surprise of whichever siopao is available, plus the meatballs she still relishes. For Parvane, it is the bihon, a quiet loyalty inherited from me. For myself, it is indulgence without guilt, because some meals are not about hunger but about gratitude. Food at its best ties together place, people, and time. Roberto’s, in its quiet stubbornness, has done this for nearly five decades.

Roberto’s on JM Basa is not just a restaurant. It is an heirloom stitched into Iloilo’s fabric, proof that greatness does not always shout but sometimes steams quietly in a bun. For every Ilonggo, it is both pride and comfort. For every visitor, it is both initiation and indulgence. For families like mine, sharing siopao and bihon through the years, the lesson is simple: the best flavors last not by changing, but by staying true.

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Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with.